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Saints and Blesseds of our Church

The Feast of All Saints in the Byzantine Church is the Sunday following Pentecost Sunday. In comparison, the Latin Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints on November 1 while the Syro-Malabar Church (an East Syriac tradition) celebrates All Saints Day celebration on the first Friday after Easter Sunday and the West Syrian Church, the Maronites, Maronite celebrate All Saints on three Sundays of Lent called the Sunday of the Righteous and the Just.

The Saints and Blesseds of the Melkite Church are often called the Saints of Antioch in recognition of the origins of the Melkite Church. At the link above, the Saints of Antioch are categorized according, for example, time period, martyrdom, monasticism, and those who gave their lives under Islamic rule.

Some recent saints and blesseds

Saint Mariam Baouardy or Mary of Jesus Crucified (5 January 1846 – 26 August 1878), a Melkite and a member of the Carmelite order was canonized on 17 May 2015. Her feast day is 26 August.

The Venerable Servant of God, Father Bechara Abou-Mourad [Mrad] (19 May 1853 – 22 February 1930) a Basilian Salvatorian priest and often called the Melkite Curé d’Ars, a reference to the similarities he had with St. John Mary Vianney. Father Bechara is consider a patron saint for parish priests. On Saturday, 11 December 2010, Pope Benedict issued a decree recognizing that Father Bechara exhibited heroic virtue.

A video presentation of the Venerable Servant of God Father Bechara can be viewed here:

Fathi Baladi, born in Lebanon on September 22, 1961 and died on December 31, 1980, often called a martyr of Lebanon’s civil war. His cause was opened on 23 November 1984 and the Melkite Synod voted to pursue the cause on 30 July 1994. In 2018, Asianews.it reported on Fathi’s cause for sainthood process.